Omicron, omicron-dialkyl or omicron, omicron-bis (haloalkyl) s-dichloromethyl phosphorothioates



0,0-DIALKYL R 0,0-BIS(HALOALKYL) 'S-DI- CHLOROMETHYL PHOSPHOROTHIOATES Gail H. Birum, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application April 11, 1958 Serial No. 727,770

17 Claims. (Cl. 167--22) The present invention relates to organophosphorus compounds containing sulfur, and more particularly, provides certain new phosphorothioates, methods of preparing the same, insecticidal and fungicidal compositions comprising said phosphorothioates, and insecticidal and fungicidal methods in which such compositions are used.

United States Patent 0 2,931,75t Patented A r. 5, 19 0 phosgene (reaction II) above are the simple dialkyl pho s- According to the invention, there are provided S-dichloromethyl 0,0-dialkyl or 0,0-bis(haloalkyl) phosphorothioates having the formula I i ROl"SCHCla in which R is selected from the class consisting of alkyl and haloalkyl radicals of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

I have found that phosphorothioates of the above general formula are readily obtainable by either of two methods. By one procedure I contact an appropriate phosphite with dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride, and the phosphorothioate is formed substantially according to the where R is as defined above.

By the other method I contact appropriate dialkylor bis(haloalkyl) phosphitcs (sometimes named :as dialkyl or bis(haloalkyl) hydrogenphosponates) with thiophosgene in a basic medium and obtain the phosphorothioate substantially according to the following scheme (in 0- V II base i ll R0?H+os01;- R0II scHo1z -In both of the reaction schemes shown above, R isv an allcyl or haloalkyl radical of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. For the dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride reaction, useful phosphitcs are, e.'g-., the simple trialkyl phosphitcs: such as trimethyl, triethyl, tri-n-propyl, triisopropyl, tri-n-butyl, tri-tert-butyl, tri-n-amyl, 'tr'iisoamyl, trin'-hexyl, tri-n- 'hcptyl, tris(2-ethylhexyl) and tri-n-octyl phosphitcs; the mixed trialkyl phosphitcs such as dimethyl ethyl, di-n- -.propyl methyl, butyl dimethyl, amyl diethyl, 'dibutyl nhexyl, di-n-propyl n-octyl,dimethyl2 ethylhexyl-, ethyl methyl 'propyl, or amyl n-octyl n-propyl phosphitcs; the simple tris(hal0alkyl) phosphitcs such as" tris('3-chloropropyl), tris(2-chloropropyl), tris(4-bromobutyl), tris- -(2,2,2-trichloroethyl.),t tris(3-iodopropyl),. tris(2 fiuoroethyL), tris(chlorohexyli), tris(chloroheptyl), or tris-bromooctyl) phosphitcs; the mixed haloalkyl phosphitcs such 'as"2=ch1oroethyl"bis(3' chloropropyl) or 4=bromobutyl bis- (Z-chl'oroethyl) phosphite; and phosphites in which both :alkyl' and haloalkyl radicals are present such as diethyl 2-chloropropyl phosphite'or bis(4-chlorobutyl)- propyl phosphite.

Examples of pfios'pliiteswhicli are natural thetliiophites such as dimethyl, diethyl, di-n-propyl, diisopropyl, di-n-butyl, di-n-amyl, di-tert-amyl, di-n-hexyl, di-n-heptyl, di-n-octyl or bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphite; the mixed dialkyl phosphitcs such as amyl ethyl, butyl n-propyLethyl n-octyl, isopropyl methyl, ethyl n-hexyl or 2-ethylhex ylmethyl phosphite; the simple bis(haloalkyl) phosphitcs 'such as bis(2-chloroethyl), bis(2,3-dichloropropyl), bis- (2-iod0ethyl), bis(3 -chlorobutyl), bis(5.- bromoamyl), bis(2-fluoroethyl) and bis(chlorooctyl) phosphite; the mixed haloalkyl haloalkyl phosphitcs such as 2-chloro ethyl 3-chloropropyl or Z-bromoethyl 2-chloropropyl phosphite; and mixedphosphites in which one ester group is derived from an alkanol and the other from a haloalkanol, e.g., amyl Z-chldroethyl or 3-bromopropyl mom yl phosphite.

Phosphorothioates provided by the vpresent invention include 0,0-dialkyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioates in which both alkyl groups are the same, e.g.,

0,0-dimethyl S-dic'hloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-diethyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-di-n-propyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-diisopropyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioa'te 0,0-di-n-butyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-di-tert-butyl S-dichloromethyl phosp'horothioate 0,O-di-'n-arnyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-diisoamyl S=dichloromethyl phosphorothioatc 0,0-di-n-hexyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-di-n-heptyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate (),O-di-n-octyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-bis(2-ethylhexyl) S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate S-dichloromethyl": phosphoro- The invention also provides the mixed 0,0-dialkyl sdichloromethyl phosphorothioate's such as O-ethyl O-methyl S-dichlorome'thyl phosphorothioa'te O-ethyl o-n-p'ropyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothio'afe O-amyl O-butyl S'-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate O-methyl O-n-octyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 'O-ethyl O-2-ethylhexyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate O-ethyl O-n-hexyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate The invention also provides 0,0-bis (haloalkyl) 'S -di- V chloromethyl phosphorothioates such as 0,0 bis(2 chloroethyl) S dichloromethyl phosphoro- 0,0 bis(2 -'bromoethyl') S dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 1 0,0-bis(2 -iodoethyl) S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioat'e 0,0-bis(3 chloropropyl) S dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0 bis(2 fiuoroethyl) S dichloromethyl phosphorothioate 0,0-bis(2 bromoheptyl) S dichloromethyl phosphdro:

thioate V V 0,0-bis(2 chloropropyl.) S dichloromethyl phosphorothioate Preparation of the presently provided phosphorothioates from dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride and the appropriate phosphite, i.e., the trialkyl, the tris(haloalkyl), the dialkyl haloalkyl or the alkyl bis(haloalkyl) phosphite, is conducted by simply contacting the sulfenyl chloride with the phosphite at ordinary, decreased or increased temperatures until the formation of the phosphorothioate has taken place, and recovering the phosphorothioate from the resulting reaction product. Depending upon the nature of the phosphite, the reaction is advantageously affected at temperatures of from, say, minus 20 C. to 80 C. The less reactive higher alkyl and haloalkyl phosphites will generally require heating in order to bring about the reaction, whereas use of the lower alkyl or haloalkyl phosphites permits operation at ordinary room temperature, and the reaction may be so vigorous that in order-to obtain smooth condensation, external cooling is advantageously employed. When reaction has subsided, the phosphorothioate is readily obtained from the byproduct alkyl halide by isolating procedures known to those skilled in the art, i.e., by distillation, solvent extraction, fractional crystallization, etc. Inasmuch as the present phosphorothioates generally have boiling points which are higher than those of either the initial reactants for the alkyl halide by-product, it usually sufiices to simply distill the reaction mixture to remove such constituents, whereby the phosphorothioate product is obtained as residue.

Preparation of the present phosphorothioates from thiophosgene and the phosphite, i.e., the dialkyl, alkyl haloalkyl or bis(haloalkyl) phosphite, requires the presence of a basic catalyst. The catalyst may be organic or inorganic, e.g., it may be an organic base such as pyridine or triethanolamine, a basic salt of an organic acid such as sodium acetate or potassium stearate, or an inorganic alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide or a basic salt thereof such as sodium, potassium or lithium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, etc. Temperatures employed are substantially those used when preparing the phosphorothioates from dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride instead of thiophosgene, i.e., temperatures of from minus 20 C. to 80 C. i

Preparation of the presently provided phosphorothioates from the appropriatephosphite and either dichloro- 'methanesulfenyl chloride or thiophosgene may be eifected in the presence or absence of an inert diluent or solvent, e.g., carbon tetrachloride, hexane or ether. The operation may be conducted at ordinary, super-atmospheric or sub-atmospheric pressure and either process may be conducted batch-wise or continuously. Since the processes .involve use of one mole of the phosphite with one mole of the thiophosgene or dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride, stoichiometric proportions of these reactants are employed. However, because the phosphorothio-ate is easily separable from the final reaction mixture, an excess of either reactant may be used. In the thiophosgene reaction, when stoichiometric proportions of the reactants are employed and the reaction is carried to completion (which point may be determined by noting change of refractive index and/or cessation in temperature rise), the "product comprises the substantially pure phosphorothioate. Purification simply involves washing out the basic catalyst.

The present phosphorothioates are stable, well-defined compounds which range from viscous liquids to waxy or crystalline solids. They may be advantageously employed for a variety of industrial and agricultural purposes, e.g., as lubricant additives, as plasticizers for synthetic resins and plastics, and as softeners for rubbery polymers. However, they are particularly valuable as biological toxicants, especially as insecticides and fungicides. In agricultural applications they demonstrate high insecticidal and fungicidal efliciency at concentrations at which no phytotoxic efiect is evidenced.

The invention is further illustrated, but not limited, by the following examples:

Example 1 To 75.7 g. (0.5 mole) of dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride in 150 m1. of dichloromethane there was added, during a period of 0.45 hour with ice-cooling (2-5" C.), 83 g. (0.5 mole) of triethyl phosphite. The resulting yellow solution was then concentrated, under water-pump vacuum, to 60 C. and then distilled to give 117.8 g. (93% yield) of the crude S-dichloromethyl O,O-d1ethyl phosphorothioate, B.P. 94 C./0.1-0.5 mm. Redistillation gave the substantially pure ester, B.P. 8283 C./0.1 mm., 11 1.4816, and analyzing as follows:

Found Calcd. for

C H CI O PS Percent C 23. 92 23. 7 Percent H- 4. 41 4. 38 Percent 01. 28. 27 28.00 Percent 19.. 12.20 12. 25 Percent 8.. 12.89 12- 7 Example 2 Example 3 To 45.5 g. (0.3 mole) of ice-cooled dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride there was gradually added 54.5 g. of trimethyl phosphite. During the addition, the temperature of the reaction mixture rose to 25 C. When all of the phosphite had been added, the mixture was heated to about 75 C. at 1.5 mm. Hg pressure to remove unreacted material. There was thus obtained as residue 73.0 g. of the substantially pure S-dichloromethyl 0,0dimethyl phosphorothioate, n 1.4893.

I Example 4 To a 500 cc. flask there were added 34.5 g. (0.3 mole) of thiophosgene, 41.4 g. (0.3 mole) of freshly distilled diethyl phosphite, and 150 ml. of chloroform. The flask and its contents were cooled in ice as a solution of 12.8 g. (0.32 mole) of sodium hydroxide in 75 ml. of water was added during a period of 0.3 hour at a temperature of from 5 C. to 10 C. After stirring the whole at this temperature for 0.2 hour, it was allowed to stratify. The organic layer was separated, and the aqueous layer washed with chloroform. The combined organic layer and washings were dried over calcium chloride and distilled to give -(I), 40 g. (62% yield) of an orange liquid, B.P. l0l C./0.20.3 mm. Redistillation of (I) gave (II), the substantially pure S-dichloromethyl 0,0-diethyl phosphorothio'ate, a yellow liquid B.P. 82 C./0.1 mm., n 1.4815, and analyzing as follows:

Found Calcd. for

CgHnChOgPB 4. l8 4. 38 28. 20 28. 0 l2. 10 12.25 Percent S 12. 78 12.7

Example5 To an ice-cooled mixture consisting of 58.3 (0.3 mole) of di-n-butyl phosphite, 34.5 g. (0.3 mole) of thiophosgene, and about 150 ml. of chloroform there was "The chloroform layer was separated, washed with water and dried over calcium chloride for 0.5 hour. Filtration of the dried product and distillation of the filtrate (to remove material boiling up to a pot temperature of 114 C./0.5 mm. gave as residue 51.1 g. of the substantially pure S-dichloromethyl 0,0-di-n-butyl phosphorothioate.

Example 6 Inan ice-cooled flask there was placed 76.5 g. (0284 -'mole) of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphite, and 43 g. (0.284 'mole) ;'of dichloromethanesulfenyl chloride was vadded thereto during 0.3 hour, with stirring and cooling- S- C.). When all of the chloride had been added, the reaction mixture was concentrat'edto a v pot temperature of 78 C./0.3 mm.,-whereby by-product 1,2-dichloro- 1 ethane as well as any unreacted material distilled off.

The residue (86.0 g., 94% theoretical yield) was the substantially pure 0,0-bis(2-chloroethyl) S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate, a light yellow liquid, n 1.5166.

Example 7 This example describes insecticidal testing of the S- dichloromethyl 0,0-diethyl phosphorothioate of Ex- .the total emulsion. Potted bean plants were respectively sprayed to run-off with the emulsion. Immediately after the spray residue was dry, 10 bean beetle larvae were transferred to leaves excised from the sprayed plants. The infested leaves were then held 2 days for observation. .At the end of that time, inspection of the infested leaves and the sprayed plants showed a 100% kill of the bean Ebeetle larvae and no phytotoxic effect. Observation of 'controls, i.e., similarly infested plants which had been :sprayed with an emulsion consisting only of water and .the same quantity of cyclohexanone and Emulsifier L, showed the larvae to be not at all affected.

Example 8 The S-dichloromethyl 0,0-diethyl phosphorothioate was tested as an insecticide against the yellow fever mosquito, Aeaes aegypti (Linne'), using the following procedure:

Duplicate culture tubes were filled with 70 cc. of distilled water, and to the water there was then added a quantity of an acetone solution of said phosphorothioate to give an 0.00013% (1.3 ppm.) concentration of test chemical in each tube. Approximately 25 mosquito larvae were then transferred into each of said tubes. A duplicate set of controls was also prepared by adding 25 larvae to each of two tubes which contained distilled water and the same quantity of acetone, but no test compound. The tubes were than held at room temperature for 24 hours. Observation at the end of that time showed a 100% kill of larvae in both of the tubes which contained the 0.000l3% concentration of the S-dichloromethyl 0,0-diethyl phosphorothioate and zero kill of the larvae in the contro Example 9- The S-dichloromethyhQO-dimethyl phosphorothioate of Example 3 was tested at an 0.1% concentration against bean beetle larvae, using the test method described in Example 7. A kill of the larvae was obtained.

Example 10 concentration of spores was adjusted to about 40,000 per ml. of water.

The phosphorothioate was added to distilled water in a concentration calculated to give 1,000 parts of the compound per million parts of water. An 0.01 ml. aliquot of the resulting mixture was pipetted, respectively, into wells (duplicates for each test organism) of a depressed glass slidev and allowed to evaporate to dryness. Then an 0.1 ml. aliquot of'one of the spore suspensions was pipetted into each well. The concentration of said phosphorothioate in each well was thus lowered to 100 parts per million. Duplicate controls for'each test organism were also prepared by pipetting respectively 0.1 ml. aliquots of said spore suspensions into empty wells of a depressed glass slide. All of the slides were then incubated in a moist chamber for 16 hours at 25 C. 'Inspection of the slides at the end of this time showed complete inhibition of both of said test organisms in the presence of the phosphorothioate, i.e., on all of the slides in which the S-dichloromethyl 0,0-diethyl phosphorothioate had been deposited, whereas there was profuse germination of both organisms in all'of the contro slides.

The present phosphorothioates are generally incorporated into inert carriers when employed as biological toxicants, since they are active in very small concentrations. They are preferably applied by spraying aqueous suspensions or oil-in-water emulsions of the same, this method affording an easy and inexpensive way of, e.g., destroying insects and inhibiting microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Dispersing or emulsifying agents are advantageously employed in the presence of suspensions or emulsions designed for use as agricultural pesticides. However, the present phosphorothioates are likewise effective when applied in agricultural dusts, i.e., compositions in which the carrier is, e.g., talc, pumice or bentonite.

What I claim is:

1. A phosphorothioate of the formula in which R is selected from the class consisting of alkyl and haloalkyl radicals of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

2. An 0,0-dialkyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical.

3. An 0,0-bis(haloalky1) S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the haloalkyl radical.

4. S-dichloromethyl diethyl phosphorothioate.

5. S-dichloromethyl dimethyl phosphorothioate.

6. 0,0-di-n-butyl S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate.

7. 0,0-bis(2 chloroethyl) S-dichloromethyl phosphorothioate.

8. The method which comprises contacting thiophosgene, in the presence of a basic catalyst, with a phosphite of the formula HO-P(0R), in which R is selected from the class consisting of alkyl and haloalkyl, radicals of ammo from 1 to 8 carbon atoiils,ianfl rcovering from the resultreaction product aphosphor'othioate of the-formula o RJOQIIIIQSCHCII in which R is as herein defined.

9. A composition effective against insects and fungi Whichcompris'es an inert carrierand as the essehtialteifeo- 'tive ing redient a 'phosphorothioate of thefor-rnlilain wliishii is selected 'from the class consisting of alkyl and halo'alkyl radieals'of from 1'to8 carbon atoms.

'10. insecticidal composition which comprises an inert carrier and as the essential effectiveingreiiienfa .phos phofothioat'e of "the formula 0 Ro i soHol,

. l R v v in which Rfis selected from the class consisting of alk'yl and haloalkyl radicals of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

' 11. An insecticidal composition comprising anihett carrier and -S-dichlor omethyl 0,0 -diethyl phosphorothioate as the essential efiective ingredient.

.12. A 'fungistatic composition which comprises an inert carrier and S-dichloromethyl QO-diethyl phos- ;phorothi'oate-as the essential effective ingredient.

--13. The method of combatting an organism selected from the class consisting of insect :pests and fungi which comprises exposing said organism to a toxic quantity of -a.phosphorothioate of the formula M 0 no-i-soncn in w'msll' R is selected from the class consisting of alkyl gene with dim-butyl phosphite inthe presence of a basic --eat a1ys"t and recovering S-di'chlorometh-yl 0,0-di-n butyl phosphorothioate from the resulting reaction product.

V References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,451 Gilbert et a1. Sept. '28, @1954 2,811,543 Coover et al Och-29, 1 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,069,431 France Feb. 10, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES -Morrison: J. -Am. Chem. Soc. '77, '31-'81-2 T 1955 

9. A COMPOSITION EFFECTIVE AGAINST INSECTS AND FUNGI WHICH COMPRISES AN INERT CARRIER AND AS THE ESSENTIAL EFFECTIVE INGREDIENT A PHOSPHOROTHIOATE OF THE FORMULA
 13. THE METHOD OF COMBATTING AN ORGANISM SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF INSECT PESTS AND FUNGI WHICH COMPRISES EXPOSING SAID ORGANISM TO A TOXIC QUANTITY OF A PHOSPHOROTHIOATE OF THE FORMULA 